The present invention relates to novel Apocynum extracts, antidepressant compositions containing the Apocynum extracts in the form of foods, dietary supplements, medicines and the like, and methods for treating depression using the Apocynum extracts.
The etiology of depression has been extensively discussed by many works, but has not been sufficiently explained yet. Various factors seem to be involved in the etiology and complicated with each other. Possible factors include biological factors such as neurochemical and genetic findings as well as situational or psychosociological factors such as previous personality or life stress.
Clinical features of depression include depressive state, anhedonia (the inability to enjoy themselves), psychomotor inhibition, incoherence of thought/cognition, anxiety and agitation, physical (autonomic) symptoms, etc.
Currently available drugs for treating depression (antidepressants) include tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine, clomipramine, trimipramine; tetracyclic antidepressants such as maprotiline, mianserin; triazolopyridines such as trazodone; benzketoxime-based selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluvoxamine. However, tricyclic or similar cyclic antidepressants have been shown to have side effects such as anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, blurred near vision, constipation, dysuria), antihistamine effects (weight gain, sedation), antiadrenergic effects (postural hypotension, vertigo, dizziness) and cardiotoxicosis or acute poisoning caused by excessive intake. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been associated with the danger of inducing serotonin syndrome. Therefore, there is a demand for antidepressants with less side effects.
Recently, St. John""s Wort was reported to be effective in treating depression (K. Lindle et al., British Medical Journal, 313, 253 (1996)). St. John""s Wort or Hypericum perforatum is provided by drying aerial parts harvested during the flowering stage, and has been long used as extracted oil in Europe for treating wound and neuralgia. Moreover, flavonoid compounds such as hyperoside and isoquercitrin contained in St. John""s Wort were shown to have an antidepressant effect (V. Butterweck, et al., Planta Med. 66, 3-6 (2000)).
However, St. John""s Wort contains a compound having a dimer structure of anthraquinone called hypericin, which is known to cause photosensitivity as one of serious side effects (B. Geoffrey, Lancet (North American Edition), 352,1121-1122, (1998)). A component of St. John""s Wort, hyperforin is also known to induce a drug metabolizing enzyme to affect pharmacokinetics of drugs such as cyclosporin (F. -B. Adriane, Lancet, 355, 9198, 134-138, (2000), L. B. Moore et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. USA, 97, 7500-7502, (2000)).
In China, leaves of Apocynum venetum L. are used as substitute tea, which is effective in lowering fever or treating hypertension, cardiac insufficiency, bronchitis, dropsy, neurasthenia, etc.
Recently, roasted tea of leaves of Apocynum venetum L. (Apocynum tea) was reported to show a cholesterol-lowering effect (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-224623) and prophylactic/curing effects against infective diseases (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-167978). However, these teas or hot water extracts of Apocynum venetum L. normally contain 1-2% flavonoids but never contain more than 4% flavonoid compounds. No extracts of Apocynum venetum L. containing 4% or more flavonoid compounds have been reported.
Moreover, nobody has known that Apocynum venetum L., teas of Apocynum venetum L. and extracts of Apocynum venetum L have an antidepressant effect.
An object of the present invention is to provide a naturally derived antidepressant composition in the form of a food, dietary supplement, medicine or the like that contains neither hypericin nor hyperforin and is safer even during extended administration, as well as a method for treating depression using it.
After extensive studies to find a safer antidepressant, we succeeded in preparing a new extract of leaves of Apocynum venetum L. containing 4% or more of flavonoid compounds and accomplished the present invention on the basis of the finding that this extract shows an antidepressant effect.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an Apocynum extract containing 4% or more of flavonoid compounds.
The present invention also provides an antidepressant composition containing the Apocynum extract. The composition may be in the form of a food, dietary supplement or medicine.
The present invention also provides a method for treating depression using the Apocynum extract.
(1) Apocynum extracts
Leaves of Apocynum venetum L. (scientific name) are used. Leaves of Apocynum venetum L. may be used as fresh leaves as harvested or after dried or roasted, but preferably dried and roasted.
Apocynum extracts used in the present invention can be obtained by extracting leaves of Apocynum venetum L. with water, ethanol, ethanol hydrate or an organic solvent followed by concentration, optionally adsorbing thus obtained extract to an acrylic, styrene, methacrylic or aromatic synthetic adsorbent and concentrating fractions eluted with 10-95% ethanol hydrate, and optionally drying the extract, provided that they contain 4% or more of flavonoid compounds. The content of flavonoid compounds in the extracts is preferably 4-50%, more preferably 4-10%.
As used herein, flavonoid compounds mean materials in which two phenyl groups are linked via three carbon atoms of a pyran ring or a similar structure, including chalcone, flavanone, flavone, flavonol, flavanonol, flavanol (catechin), isoflavone and anthocyan.
Apocynum extracts of the present invention preferably contain 4% or more of flavonoid compounds as expressed in the total content of hyperoside and isoquercitrin. Apocynum extracts of the present invention also preferably contain 4% or more of flavonoid compounds as expressed in the total content of hyperoside, isoquercitrin, astragalin and trifolin. All these compounds are flavonol glycosides.
The content of flavonoid compounds in Apocynum extracts can be analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, for example, and spectrophotometrically determined in a range of 280-340 nm.
Apocynum extracts of the present invention contain neither hypericin nor hyperforin. Hyperforin and hypericin in Apocynum extracts can be analyzed by using a high performance liquid chromatograph (Von J. Holzl and E. Ostrowski, Deutche Apotecker Zeit, 127, 1227-30 (1987)) on a column YMC PAK ODS 100xc3x976 mm i.d. with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile:methanol:water:phosphoric acid=55:45:1:0.1 at 1 mL/min, during which a hyperforin peak appears at 8.9 min as monitored at a detection wavelength of 254 nm and a hypericin peak appears at 14.3 min as monitored at a detection wavelength of 590 nm. Apocynum extracts of the present invention show no peak corresponding to hypericin and hyperforin.
(2) Compositions
The present invention also provides antidepressant compositions containing Apocynum extracts in the form of a food, dietary supplement or medicine. Apocynum extracts used in the present invention preferably contain 4% or more of flavonoid compounds as determined above, though lower contents may also be suitable.
When compositions of the present invention are pharmaceutical compositions, the administration route is not specifically limited, but they preferably have a dosage form suitable for oral administration. Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be in various dosage forms. For example, dosage forms suitable for oral administration include, but not limited to, tablets, capsules, powders, granules, pills, liquids, emulsions, suspensions, solutions, spirits, syrups, extracts and elixirs. Formulations may contain various pharmaceutically acceptable carriers including, but not limited to, excipients, binders, disintegrating agents, lubricants, flavors, colorants, sweeteners, corrigents, solubilizing agents, suspending agents, emulsifiers, coating agents, vitamin C and antioxidants.
The dose of pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention is generally 1 mg-2000 mg, preferably 1 mg-1000 mg daily per adult expressed as Apocynum extracts or 0.01 mg-300 mg expressed as total flavonoids. Obviously, the dose can be specifically adapted to the age, weight and condition of the patient being treated, the route and period of administration, the treatment progress and other factors. The daily dose can be divided into several subdoses. Compositions may be administered in combination with other antidepressants or other therapies.
Compositions of the present invention can be in the form of a food or dietary supplement. For example, Apocynum extracts can be mixed with base materials into noodles, breads, candies, jellies, cookies, soups and healthy beverages. These foods or dietary supplements can contain inorganic ingredients such as iron or calcium; various vitamins; oligosaccharides; dietary fibers such as chitosan; proteins such as soybean extracts; fats such as lecithin; and sugars such as sucrose or lactose, in addition to Apocynum extracts.
Apocynum extracts of the present invention can be combined with ginseng extracts, ginkgo leave extracts, Gotu-Kola extracts, Siberian ginseng extracts, astragalus extracts, guarana extracts, maca extracts, dandelion extracts, artichoke extracts, gentiana extracts, schisandra extracts to provide compositions in the form of a food, dietary supplement, medicine or the like having the effect of improving depression caused by mental stress.
Apocynum extracts of the present invention can be combined with extracts of black cohosh extracts, pumpkin seed extracts, soybean extracts, licorice extracts, Dong Quai extracts, chaste tree extracts, pomegranate extracts, and dioscorea extracts to provide compositions in the form of a food, dietary supplement, medicine or the like having the effect of improving climacteric melancholia.
(3) Depression
As used herein, depression refers to the disease classified as xe2x80x9cdepressionsxe2x80x94related disorders in the International Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death. 10th version, ICD-10 published by World Health Organization or the disease evaluated as xe2x80x9cdepressionxe2x80x9d by multiaxial diagnosis according to DSM-IV of xe2x80x9cDiagnostic Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, DSMxe2x80x9d published by American Psychiatric Association (APA) among various typing and classification protocols of depression so far proposed.
Thus, the term xe2x80x9cantidepressantxe2x80x9d means reducing, improving or preventing some symptoms of depression as defined above. Whether or not a composition is xe2x80x9cantidepressantxe2x80x9d can be determined by the patient""s own feeling of improvement, some effect ascertained by the physician""s diagnosis or the like.
(4) Effects
Apocynum extracts of the present invention were tested for antidepressant effect by a common method for evaluating antidepressant effect called as the forced swimming test (Porsolt et al., Nature, 266, 730-732 (1977)). As a result, Apocynum extracts showed an antidepressant effect comparable to a known tricyclic antidepressant imipramine-HCl.
The following examples further illustrate the present invention without, however, limiting the invention thereto. Various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art and these changes and modifications are also included in the present invention.